GENERAL RULES
* Using all caps when you type is considered shouting in netiquette. Please keep this in mind for posting, as well as replying.

* If you are posting a story, it is recommended that you utilize a spell checker to sort through typos and other grammatical errors or a beta-reader. Utilize general typing rules such as: using quotation marks; spacing after punctuation; and breaking the story apart into appropriate paragraphs. It makes the story easier to read and follow.

* It is considered good form for all readers to leave feedback for the authors, even if it is just "Thanks. I like this story." Of course, longer, detailed feedback is also very much encouraged.

* In all posts, please be aware that certain things distort the board width. Such as using any of the smilies in a long string, or stretching out a word by repeating letters. Such posts are not tolerated.

* Flaming and bashing of authors and other users in feedback or any discussion thread will not be tolerated.

* Links and uploads of images of graphic/underage smut will not be tolerated, and may be grounds for removal from the site.

* You may not complete a story belonging to another writer, or write a sequel without permission from the original writer. This permission must be sent in pm form to an admin of this site (Lord Ravenclaw, Midknight, Vash, Zevrillion)

PLAGIARISM
* This board has a 0.0001019 tolerance policy toward plagiarism.
* See posts below for more information.

SEPARATE FORUMS FOR FAN FICTION
We have separate forums for the forms of fan fiction. Stories are to appear in only one forum – no multiple postings. Please post in the correct forum. Stories appearing in the wrong forum will be moved.

**NOTE** If your story fits in multiple forums, please choose one that fit the best. Please pick your forum with careful consideration so that it attracts the readers you feel it will appeal to most. This ensures that readers looking for that type of fic can find it and readers that want to avoid it can. Put a note on the first page of your fic in the header indicating that you have chosen it to be in that forum and why. This ensures a moderator will know not to move your story.

HOLDING A FAN FICTION HOSTAGE
This is when an author states "no feedback, no story" or requires a certain number of feedbacks before they’ll post a new part. This is basically extortion. This practice is very strongly discouraged.

POSTING FORMAT FOR THE FANFICTION CATEGORY
This is the posting format for the FanFiction category.

From this day forth there is to be no story content in the FanFiction categories, but rather posted in author works and linked from this post. Fill in all values between the brackets "[", "]".
Do not use silly colours when you post a fanfiction. You may post your critique below in the same post. If you need to edit a fanfiction listing after your edit ability expires contact a moderator to do it for you.

RATINGS
This ratings guide is similar to the way movies are rated. It gives readers an idea of the contents within.

Note: The ratings given below are the standard MPAA ratings that were used by all the FanFiction sites. But in a recent policy, MPAA have taken an objection to this. As a result, FanFiction.net has changed their ratings iin accordance with the ratings scheme of FictionRatings.com. The new ratings can be familiarised here:

FANFIC COVER ART
We have a lot of very talented fan artists on the board who create cover art for the fan fictions. Since there are a lot of them, we’ve created regulations to how they will be posted and what size they can be. Any fic violating these standards will be edited by a mod.

* Cover art may ONLY be posted in the first post of a story and the first part after the banner has been created.

* The art may ONLY BE POSTED TWICE within the story. Any additional postings of the arts will be deleted from the post.

* Cover art may be no larger than 550 x 500 (width by height). That size is the largest size that will not distort screen width or requiring scrolling down to view the entire thing.

OTHER IMAGES WITHIN POSTS
Please use your discretion here. If you find a picture that you wish to share and it is too large, you can post a link to it and describe the picture. And please, keep the pictures related to the board and keep them to a minimum.

* No more than 2 images may be included in a post. Any additional images will be deleted.

* Images may be no larger than 550 x 500 (width by height). That size is the largest size that will not distort screen width or requiring scrolling down to view the entire thing.

* Animations are not allowed in posts.

SIGNATURES
There are strict restrictions on anything besides words allowed in signatures. Any users violating this will have their pictures deleted from their signature and will receive a strike. See the Three Strikes Rule.

A limit of five lines of text total will be enforced. Keep your signatures reasonable. Interpretations of reasonable is at the Administrator's discretion.

A limit of two images, 120px height, 500px width total is allowed. Anyone breaking this rule will have their signature removed. IRC regulars have a small exception in that they are able to add a small banner with their assigned IRC nickname to their signature. No other exceptions will be made at this time.

AVATARS
This is a small graphic image that displays below your name in posts.

* Image can be no larger than 150x150 pixels.
* File size can be no more than 50kb.
* Animations in avatars are allowed.

PRUNING RULES
1) All links will be checked at the end of every month. If a link is broken the poster will be notified via a pm. After that he/she has 24 hours to correct it. If it hasn’t been done the post will be deleted.

2) All topics outside of the fanfic category will be looked if no one has posted in them after 3 months. They are then considered dead and its better to just start a new topic.

3) When a topic outside of the fanfic category has more than 20 pages a new thread will be made with the same topic and the old one locked.

PLAGIARISM DEFINITION AND POLICYPlagiarism Defined
The American Heritage College Dictionary defines plagiarism as: "to use and pass off as one's own, the ideas or writings of another; to appropriate for use as one's own passages or ideas from another."

The Canadian Intermediate Dictionary defines plagiarism as: "the act of taking and using as one's own the idea, writing, invention, etc. of another; especially the taking and using of passages, plot, etc. from the work of another writer."

"It is the responsibility of the fan fiction community as a whole to safeguard itself against plagiarism."

"Plagiarism is stealing the ideas and thoughts of another author and representing them as one's own. An example of this is taking a portion of someone else's story and putting it into your own story without getting permission from and giving credit to the original author. Using sections of a story in which the original portions have undergone minor changes (wording, characters, etc.) but are still reasonably recognizable also qualifies as plagiarism. Plagiarism is wrong and is one of the worst offenses in the writing community because it is the *theft* of another person's creative efforts."

Plagiarism - The Rules
1) Any fic that is proven to be copied word for word from ANY other written source, even with it being credited, will instantly be deleted and the writer banned from the board. This includes fictional, published works and fics written by other fan-writers in any fandom.

2) Any fic proven to be copied scene by scene from any other written source or any movie will instantly be deleted and the writer banned from the board.

3) If there is any doubt, the Board Administration will error on the side of caution. Fan Fiction in and of itself is copywrite infringement. Rather than taking the chance of being sued and having the board shutdown, we would prefer to be safe rather than sorry.

In the end, not only is plagiarism a betrayal of the writers from which the words and ideas are stolen, it is also a betrayal of your readers. We feel that it is wrong to claim someone else’s work as your own, particularly since so many of us are writers here as well as readers. We pour our blood, sweat and tears into our fics and feel that we should be guaranteed the knowledge that all other writers on this board are doing the same.

Finally, from this point on, there will be no second chances. This will remain posted here and on every board at Fanatics. If you choose not to have read it, that will not be an excuse. Every single user is now held accountable for their actions regarding this very important issue.